46

One Month Later

Talia and Kili stood expectantly outside of the gates, hands clasped in anticipation. Balin and Dwalin fidgeted alongside the rest of the Company, as nervous as could be. Still, there were smiles on all of their faces. Today was the day their kin from the Blue Mountains would arrive, according to Dis' latest letter.

"What? Are you nervous?" Kili grinned.

Of course, Kili could naturally see through his aunt's façade and unearth her worried expression. Yet despite her anxiety, she still managed a smile in return. Ever since Fili had died and Tauriel had left, his joy had become rarer and rarer. Talia, like the others, had learned to enjoy his grin in the few moments that it came.

"It's your mother, Kili. Of course I'm nervous."

"You were a sister to her, Talia." Dwalin interjected, though he was enjoying her worry. It was hilarious when she acted so flustered; barely anything in the world caught her off guard. "She'll be overjoyed to hear that you're alive. Or see it, as a matter of fact."

"Wait." Talia turned to Kili, eyes narrowed. "She doesn't know that I'm alive?"

"I may have forgotten to mention it."

"Kili!"

"I thought it would be more dramatic! Which is fitting, for you."

The fact that Kili shrugged off her annoyance made her all the more enraged. Balin and Dwalin, along with the rest of the Company, stared on in amusement. When the royal family clashed, it was bound to be entertaining at least—not to mention hilarious.

"Mahal, Kili! This isn't about dramatics. Don't you think she deserves the truth?"

"It's not like I lied!"

"Well, great. I'll work on your medal." Talia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she scoffed. Bilbo cleared his throat awkwardly as Dwalin snorted, conveniently concealing his treason.

"How was I supposed to tell her? With a letter? 'Hi Mum. Hope you are well. You remember Talia, your brother's long lost love, who went missing in battle over a century ago? Turns out she's alive! Hurrah!' Come on!" Kili protested. "She would've sent the raven back to kill me first!"

"Whatever. It's too late now." She shifted her weight, fighting the urge to pace. "I just hope she approves of what I've done with the place. Mahal knows I'm no royal."

In the few weeks that had passed, much had changed in Erebor. According to Balin, all was in order like it once was. All damage from the dragon had been repaired by the Ironfoot, whom Talia thanked repeatedly for their tireless efforts. Dain had shrugged it off and, having decided to end his long overstayed welcome, left soon afterwards. Talia appreciated him for that; although it had taken a war to repair their animosity, she had expected nothing less from the stubbornness of dwarves.

Change was also brewing outside of the kingdom. Dale was revived from it's ashes as if it had never died, and those who had seen the hard work of the Lakemen could not believe their eyes. With Bard's leadership, the town was standing tall once more. Despite how it wobbled on newborn legs, it had managed to root itself back into Middle Earth's prosperous lands. As it had been all of those years ago, the city's trade was unparalleled, hailing goods of all fashions from Mirkwood, the Iron Hills, and beyond. People bustled around the markets, as happy as could be with their homes, business, and families. A new beginning for the Lakemen had come to fruition, all because of the bond between the Queen and the Lord of Dale. The city knew exactly who to thank.

However, Thorin had yet to wake. Talia still visited every day, making sure there was fresh food and water near at all times; just in case. Sometimes, she fell asleep at his bedside, and woke up the next morning to find nothing had changed. He was physically recovered from his wounds, but the mental delay in his comatose state was unprecedented and unpredictable. Maybe everyone was right; at this point, maybe she was hoping beyond hope. But she wasn't ready to give him up yet. Eventually, she knew that the time would come when she would have to.

But Talia's mind was drawn out of her daydreams and back into reality as a horn sounded before them. Then, as sure as the day, the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains arrived at the crest of the hill. They stopped to look upon the massive gates, repaired and regal once more. Those who remembered the kingdom in its height wept, held by their children as they took in the grandeur. Their kin had come into their own once more; Erebor was reclaimed.

"There's your answer, lassie." Balin nudged Talia, nodding to their people. "You've done a fantastic job. No one would expect anything less from the Queen Under the Mountain."

Still, Kili pursed his lips, knowing Dis to be far more judgmental than the common folk. "We'll see."

His words did absolutely nothing to help, as usual. The last thing she needed was more nerves from the overly sassy prince. And although his mother would return any minute, Talia's job of taking care of Kili was not over yet. She shot him a warning look, which wiped the smirk right off his face.

"One more word out of you, and I'll gut you myself."

"Or she will." Dwalin nodded forward, alerting the others to the princess before them.

The last time Talia had seen her was in the forest, back when her name was Rue; still, she hadn't been able to get a close look at her. Dis looked nothing like she did before the Battle for Moria. She stood at the forefront of her people, armed with her walking stick, her supplies, and her sword resting on her hip. Her thick, raven black hair was laced with grey, even more so than Thorin's. Wrinkles lined her proud, prominent features, surely as a result of raising two mischievous princes for over a century. But the thing that hadn't changed were her eyes. Their vibrant blue hue still held the strength that Talia had known all of her life, whether she had seen it in Thorin's, Frerin's, or the princess' eyes.

Dis stepped forward, captivated by one of the figures before her. Dropping her satchel, she rushed over to Kili, engulfing him in a bear-like hug that nearly suffocated him. For once, he didn't object; he had missed his mother, probably more than he cared to admit.

"My boy! My sweet, sweet boy! Thank Mahal you're alright!" She pulled back, bringing her hands to his cheeks and combing through his hair. "Good, no cuts, no scrapes—"

"Ma, the battle was over a month ago. You won't find anything."

"Still, shouldn't I get to check on you?" She fired back, making him hold his tongue. "What's this? A new braid? When did you have time to meet a girl? Where is she?"

"I'll answer all of your questions, Ma. Don't worry." Kili chuckled, pulling back slightly. "But first—"

"Weren't you going to greet your old friend?"

Dis turned away from Kili, her jaw agape. Balin and Dwalin came up next to the prince, throwing their arms around him as they laughed; Dis' expression nearly made them fall over. Talia held her hands up, shrugging as if coming back from the dead was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Talia?" She choked out, stepping forward at the sound of her voice. It was natural for her to be emotional after seeing her son again, but seeing her sister had broken a dam. "It's you."

Talia nodded, biting her lip as the tears slid down her cheeks. She could not move, for her sentiment was overwhelming her. Either way, she didn't needed to. Dis had already flung herself on the Queen, sobbing along with her.

"You're alive! Mahal, you're alive!" Dis said, saying the words out loud so she could believe their truth.

"Yes, yes." Talia laughed, resting her chin on Dis' shoulder. Pulling back, she took in the princess as she held her face in her hands. "It feels like you grew up without me. Yet I can remember lying with you, sharing your ridiculously comfortable bed, as though it were yesterday."

"I remember it all, Talia. I remember it all." Dis nodded, hugging her once more. Then, the obvious question prompted her to speak. "Where are the others?" She asked, breaking apart from her sister.

"Ma—" Kili began, but his mother's mind was already racing a mile a minute.

"Fili? Thorin?" She looked between the pair, not wanting to believe her thoughts. "No. Tell me it's not true."

"Walk with me, Dis." Talia offered her a hand, steeling her features and emotions for the time being. Everyone around them stilled, wondering how the princess would react to such news. Kili moved to his mother's side as Talia led Dis away from the group, whispering softly in her ear as she rubbed circles into her back. There was much explaining to do, for Thorin and Fili had very different stories. But soon, the crowd would know which Talia had told Dis first. Balin and Dwalin shook their heads sadly when her cries hit the air, causing all of them to feel her pain.

Still, the advisor had everything under control. He knew what needed to be done, even in the midst of Dis' mourning. "My kin! Follow me into the mountain. Your home awaits you!"

Gasps and small cheers of excitement rippled through the crowd, allowing Balin and Dwalin to lead them into their homeland. The Company members reunited with their mothers, fathers, and sisters as they walked, embracing them and showing them inside. Bilbo scurried after the brothers, unsure of what to do. Furthermore, he was unsure of how their group would handle yet another influx of people in their walls.

"How do you plan on organizing this?" The hobbit asked, looking over his shoulder at the masses behind them.

"Relax, Master Burglar." Dwalin clapped him on the back, nearly knocking Bilbo over. "Talia's had this plan in the works for weeks."

"We already have the boarding arrangements in order." Balin assured him, describing the plan. "The exact residence for each family is in place. After salvaging some old records from the mountain, written prior to the desolation of Smaug, we were able to assign each dwarf a home based on where their predecessors lived. It was all Talia's idea—sometimes, I wonder if she has been training for this all her life."

"Sounds like it." Bilbo agreed, already exhausted at the proposed course of action. "Where do we start?"

"We lead them to the dining halls first. They are weary, and surely would not say no to a meal."

"Well, no dwarf would say no to a meal."

"Indeed!" Balin chuckled, his pace matched by his two companions. "Come now, Master Baggins. We have much work to do."

...

Dis leaned her forehead on the stone, closing her eyes as her hands brushed over the inscription. She didn't have to look at the tomb to know it read his name. Long had she feared the day where she would witness her son's death before her own, and finally, it was here. Of all the nightmares she had hoped would never come to pass, this was the worst of them.

"Ma—" Kili began, placing a hand on her shoulder. But she inhaled sharply, raising her head from the stone. Fili's name stared back at her, the characters cool and unyielding.

"Did he have his sword?"

"Yes."

"And his Rune Stone?"

"Yes."

"Well, one of us kept our promise." She observed, accepting Kili's hand. "Although I had hoped he would come back to me, I came back to him. That has to count for something."

"Dis." Talia began, tearing her gaze away from his tomb. "I did everything I coul—"

"I know." Dis replied, wrapping an arm around Talia's waist as the tears fell. "You always do."

They weren't sure how long they stayed there for, but they knew it was a long time. Just like during Fili's funeral, time seemed to move differently. There were some things that they all knew age would not mend. Fili was a loyal dwarf, a noble hero, and a valiant warrior. Like everyone else, death had taken him for its own. He would fade into memory, then into legend; still, his family would never forget the hole he had left in their hearts.

Eventually, Talia led Dis out of the tombs and through the city, telling her everything about her past and their journey. Kili took her hand as he trailed alongside them, knowing Talia to be able to recall the story best. Dis nodded understandingly at her captivity, thanking the gods for the wizards and the Bear-Man that had saved her. When they remembered the family reunion in Bag End, Dis wept for what felt like the fifteenth time that day, wishing she had been there to see it. She scoffed when she learned of the trolls, the Eagles, and their dumb luck in almost every situation. Much to Talia's surprise, she actually smiled when Kili told her of Tauriel and their meeting in Mirkwood. Dis could tell that her son was in love as soon as he said her name—even if it was with a She-Elf, the notion warmed her heart.

They continued on, relaying every detail about their escape from the dungeons and their time in Laketown. Of course, they did not fail to mention the dragon, and how the boys had narrowly escaped the charred ruins while Talia killed the beast. Dis rolled her eyes at this, expecting nothing less from the Butcher of Beasts. As much as it pained them, they told her of the sickness. But they were just as eager to explain how Thorin had broken out of it and launched into battle soon afterwards. Finally, Talia concluded her tale with Ravenhill and the politics that followed, briefly summarizing her rule in a few short sentences.

"You say that like it's easy to bring a town back from the dead, repair and rule a kingdom, and care for this one all the while." Dis stuck her thumb out at Kili, who shrugged at the truthful accusation.

"Well, I've always been a good multitasker." Talia smirked, making Dis laugh sonorously through the kingdom.

"I should know. Ruling the Blue Mountains in your stead was no vacation." The princess nodded, understanding Talia's work ethic. "But we are women, after all. It's only natural that we did the best job out of anyone."

"That is high praise, coming from you." Talia stopped before the entrance to the dining halls, looking over to her nephew and sister. "Here you are. I beg you to eat until you collapse."

"You're not coming with us?"

"No, not now." She shook her head at Kili, ushering them further inside. "I'm not hungry. I wish to visit him first."

"Auntie—"

"Well, who said I was?" Dis rebuked, pushing Talia's arm aside. "He is my brother. I'll come with you."

"Dis, you've just crossed Middle Earth to get here. Would you rest first?" Talia said sternly, her hands on her hips.

The princess only narrowed her eyes at her, pausing for dramatic effect. "No."

"Fine. Kili, you eat. I know you're famished." Talia waved the prince off, ignoring his whispers of thanks as he rushed into the halls. Then, she took Dis' arm, interlocking it with hers as they moved towards the medical wing. "Come on, you pain in the ass."

"Curse me all you want. I'm only as stubborn as you."

"No, you are as stubborn as your brother. Which is worse than I."

"Talia, you're the only person I've ever seen win an argument against him. If anything, you're more stubborn than he is."

The Queen grinned in response, stealing a glance at the princess. "Should I be proud of that?"

Dis laughed, shaking her head. "Probably not."

Finally, the pair arrived at Thorin's room. They tiptoed inside, cautious as if they didn't want him to wake—however ironic that was. The silence of the hall was quite unnerving to the both of them, although Talia was used to it by now.

She took up residency in her usual chair, sliding it forward to his bedside. Dis followed, standing next to Talia. She had never witnessed her brother so quiet, so close to death. Thorin had always been invincible to her; seeing him like this was beyond jarring.

"I can't believe it."

"Me either." Talia admitted, her gaze never leaving her husband. "I have to be honest with you, Dis. At this point, he should have woken by now... which means he may never will."

Dis nodded, sitting noiselessly beside her. Thorin may have been comatose, but his sister knew that as long as the mountain was won, he rested easy. The princess could recall how desperately Thorin had wanted to reclaim his homeland, and what had motivated him to risk his life for this quest. Though Dis knew, Talia did not. It was time she learned the truth.

"Do you know why Thorin did this?"

Talia looked at Dis, furrowing her brow. The answer seemed obvious to her. "For his people. He is the King, Dis; this responsibility falls on his shoulders alone."

"No." She shook her head, placing a hand over Talia's. "He did it for you."

Talia tilted her head at this. "What?"

"He did it for you." She repeated, launching into explanation. "Thorin is a man of his people, and he would do anything for their betterment. Still, he saw that they had found their happiness in the Blue Mountains, and he knew that taking back Erebor was no longer necessary. It was as you said all of those years ago; home is not within a place, but within the people who surround you."

"I don't understand." Talia stated simply, frustrated. "If he knew how I felt about the idea, then why do it in my name?"

"Because a small part of him felt that if he reclaimed Erebor, he would reclaim a semblance of home; you." Dis said, squeezing her hand.

Tears welled in her eyes. "Dis—"

"Talia, Thorin loves you more than anything in the world. When you were gone, it hurt all of us. But a small part of him died the day you did, something that he felt he would never get back. Even with all of the rue in the world." Dis said, wiping the tears from her face as her own cheeks became wet. "After he met with Gandalf in Bree, he saw his chance. I hadn't seen him that excited in years."

A long pause occurred before either of them spoke again. "No wonder the bastard wouldn't let me die." Talia observed, shaking her head as a breathy laugh escaped her chest.

"No wonder." Dis agreed, looking back to Talia. "Still, you saved him. Kili, too. I'll never be able to thank you for that."

"Thank me when he wakes." Talia offered, smiling softly at her. "Then, and only then, I'll be able to accept it."

She nodded, gripping Talia's hand one more time before standing. Now that the princess had seen her brother, she was ready to recognize her hunger. "I'm famished. Will you come?"

The Queen spared a glance at Thorin and prepared to speak, though Dis already knew her answer. "No. I'm good for tonight."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Dis, please. Go eat."

"Don't let him die without me." She jested, making Talia snort as the princess left. Dis was quite the character; Talia had forgotten how much she missed her.

Sighing softly, Talia pulled her armchair closer to Thorin's bed, if even possible. She picked her feet up and curled them underneath herself, folding into a ball that she could watch Thorin from. If anything, just being in the room with him and hearing his breath helped her get through her days. Finally, she rested her head on the arm of the cushioned chair, her green eyes searching his face. But his countenance did not change, and she had forgotten how late it was. Sleep eventually took her, and despite her odd position, her rest was all the more peaceful when he was there.

Hours passed before either of them moved again; but the one who did was beyond unexpected. Thorin stirred in his sleep, his eyes fluttering open at a familiar scent by his beside. His body felt like lead, and he could barely move. Still, he managed to turn his head to the table next to his pillow, where a vase stood tall. Rue and its pungent yellow blossoms had woken him, perhaps because the open window was blowing the smell right to him. Before he could stop himself, he sneezed at the pollen, his eyes widening in surprise.

Then, something else shifted in the room. Talia startled at the sound, shooting up from her chair with perfectly straight posture. Her emerald orbs were still half-asleep, but they quickly became alert and opened wide when they saw him. She could see the blue in his eyes; Thorin's eyes were open. He winked back, making Talia gasp and bring a hand to her mouth.

"Sorry to wake you."

"Thorin? Thorin. Mahal, Thorin." She repeated his name in a frenzy, leaping from her chair and rushing to his bed. "How do you feel? Are you okay? Do you need water? Never mind, of course you need water. You've been asleep for over a month." Arriving at his side, she helped nurse a cup of the cool liquid to his lips, aiming to sooth the hoarseness of his voice. "Drink."

So he did, looking at her in thanks. She exhaled in relief at his response, taking the empty cup back and pushing it aside. Then, she took his face in her hands, supporting the crook of his neck as he sat up.

"Thorin."

"Talia."

"You're awake."

"I'm awake." He nodded, his blue eyes searching hers. The smile that graced his lips was all she needed to rejoice.

"Thank Mahal!" She exclaimed, throwing herself on him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed loudly as they were shoved back on the bed, her body flush against his. She kissed him all over, enjoying the sound of his chuckles and hugging him closer. Then, she hovered over his lips, her breath fanning over his as they stared at each other. "If you ever pull that shit again, I swear to—"

"Talia."

"Yes?"

"Kiss me."

Talia pressed her lips against his, cupping his face in her hands as he pulled her close. The world around them disappeared, for all that mattered to one was the other. Nothing could compare to the way they held each other, because they had finally found a way back into each other's arms. Talia's wishes upon wishes for a miracle had worked, after all.

Thorin was awake.